MAL-2026-162 Malicious code in btcli-security (PyPI)
- Package
- btcli-security
- Registry
- PyPI
What is MAL-2026-162?
MAL-2026-162 is a malicious package in btcli-security, published on 8 Jan 2026.
Official description
Package clones a legitimate bittensor-cli library and adds a hidden code that downloads a malicious script. The script then downloads an archive with malicious executable in the version appropriate to the system architecture, and ensures persistency by adding automatically started service entries. The remote code is a Go-based inforstealer and backdoor previously attributed to Northkorean cybercrime activities. Additionally, the library is modified to save sensitive keys in plaintext for further extraction
Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.
Campaign: 2026-01-gztensor-cli
Reasons (based on the campaign):
crypto-related
action-hidden-in-lib-usage
Downloads and executes a remote executable.
clones-real-package
peristence-autorun
typosquatting
obfuscation
backdoor
infostealer
What should I do about MAL-2026-162?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.